


Bullets and Chocolate Hearts

by VioletReaper



Series: Bullets and Chocolates [1]
Category: Heart no Kuni no Alice | Alice in the Country of Hearts
Genre: A lot - Freeform, And She's All Out of Chocolate, F/M, Lizzie Makes Star Wars References, Lizzie Swears, Modern Girl in Wonderland, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, She's Here to Find Love And eat Chocolate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22336486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletReaper/pseuds/VioletReaper
Summary: Lizzie Rogers was a fairly normal girl... or at least that's what she let people think. She loved to bake, and she loved to read. Sure, she was pretty and cute, but not many people would think she could be considered "special."Peter White and Nightmare Gottschalk would beg to differ. They see the abject boredom she's suffering through, and the desire for adventure and romance hidden within her chocolate-coated heart. More than that, she might make a good companion for Alice. Someone who can handle Wonderland's madness and keep a cool head.Lizzie, of course, has her own ideas.
Relationships: Ace (Heart no Kuni no Alice) & Original Female Character(s), Blood Dupre & Original Female Character(s), Blood Dupre/Alice Liddell, Boris Airay & Original Female Character(s), Elliot March & Original Female Character(s), Julius Monrey & Original Female Character(s), Mary Gowland & Original Female Character(s), Nightmare Gottschalk/Original Female Character(s), Peter White & Original Female Character(s), Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum & Original Female Character(s)
Series: Bullets and Chocolates [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608790
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Welcome to Wonderland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My OC Lizzie Rogers is 17, a Spring baby (born in April), has fluffy brown shoulder-length hair, mahogany-red eyes that look more like blood red when she gets angry, fair skin, and stands at 5'8". So she's four inches taller than I am at 5'4"!

Lizzie Rogers sat impatiently in front of the oven, staring at the chocolate cupcakes slowly rising within their tray with big mahogany-red eyes and a greedy smile on her pretty face. The scent that wafted through the vents was mouthwatering, especially to a chocoholic like her, and it was taking all her restraint not to drool. She kept glancing at the timer. Three minutes, fifty-nine seconds. Three minutes, fifty-eight seconds. Three minutes, fifty-seven seconds...

An image of the cupcakes cooled and frosted and decorated with cute pink-and-red heart-shaped sprinkles, popped into her head. Valentine's Day was long over, but there was no law against eating her favorite cupcakes in the middle of June, after all! There was no one to stop her from chowing down on those chocolaty delights!

_Ting!_

"Huh?" she asked, surprised at how quickly the last three minutes passed. Not in the mood to question how long she'd been day-dreaming, she slipped on her oven mitts and turned off the oven, standing aside for a moment to let the steam air out as she opened the door. The delicious scent was even stronger without the barrier of tempered glass and metal, and it was all she could do to try not to eat them before they could cool. After all, they'd taste so much better once they were frosted!

Unfortunately, waiting in her case led to doing nothing. And doing nothing gave her time to think about why she was inside, baking cupcakes on a beautiful day instead of going outside and socializing.

The source of her self-imposed isolation could be summed up in two words: Bryan Evans.

To almost everyone in Lizzie's high school, Bryan Evans was the star quarterback of the football team and the Ultimate Dream Guy(TM). He was handsome, with a strong build, lightly-tanned skin, dirty-blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and a "winning" smile. He basically looked like a life-size Ken doll. He'd helped lead their school to some kind of high-school equivalent to the Superbowl last year, (Lizzie didn't really keep up with school sports because reasons) had won several trophies, and had almost all the girls in school (and several guys too) fawning over him like he was some kind of God-damned hero.

Everyone except Lizzie and a few of her friends. Because they knew the truth.

To stay on the football team in her school, you had to keep your grades up. If your GPA slipped below a C-average, you were booted. Bryan, for all his good looks and skill with a football, was hopeless in maths and science. So instead of seeking after-school tutoring to help keep his grades up (which would eat up his football practice time), he did what any crooked jock would do and pushed his work onto the meeker nerds, threatening to spread rumors about them if they got him anything less than an A. Lizzie was pretty damn good at several of the subjects Bryan was failing in, despite not identifying as a nerd, and when he heard about her, the first thing he did was try to sweet-talk her into doing his work for him.

Lizzie, being more into brains than brawn, had responded in the most tactful way she could think of: "I have better things to do than an overconfident meathead's chemistry homework. Do it yourself."

Yeah, he hadn't taken that very well. Especially when he failed to find someone to do his work for him and it screwed up his GPA enough that he wouldn't be able to play football the moment summer break was over. It was why she came home from the hospital two days ago with a broken ankle after one of Bryan's buddies "accidentally" hit her with his car. There wasn't any permanent damage, thank God, but the Doc wanted her to stay off that leg for a few weeks while it healed. He'd soundly vetoed the idea of her going to the mall after school with her friends, or to the park to walk her dog or anything that involved her going further outside than her mailbox. Add to the fact that summer break just started. Yeah. It sucked.

To say that she was pissed about this entire situation was an understatement. So she was baking to cheer herself up. She'd even invited her friends to come over later to share in the fruits of her labor. And who doesn't love free chocolate cupcakes?

After a few minutes of thinking about her current situation, she realized a couple of things. 1) The cupcakes had only been cooling for five minutes and it would take at least twenty-five minutes more before they were completely cooled and could be frosted, and 2) she was bored. Bored, bored, BORED!! Bored out of her mind!

"UGH!! Why am I even thinking about that jerk?!" she exclaimed, standing from the barstool at the kitchen's island and grabbing her crutches. "I need to do something to take my mind off all this shit." Setting her watch, she made her way to the living room and sat down on the couch. Sitting on the coffee table was one of her favorite DVD's, _Disney's_ _Alice in Wonderland,_ starring Johnny Depp as Terrance the Mad Hatter. Opening it, she realized it was already in the DVD player, so she went ahead, turned on the TV, and hit play.

She'd only just put on the subtitles (she didn't really need them, but she remembered the lines better when she could both hear and see them) and returned to the film when she began to feel strangely sleepy, which was weird because she'd just had a cup of black tea before she'd started baking. She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she watched little Alice Kingsley tell her dad about the "nightmare" she had, and his advice her to pinch herself awake if she had it again. It didn't make sense to Lizzie. Most of the time she was unaware of it when she was dreaming. Such advice was useless to her.

But as she began to nod off, she heard a voice whisper in her ear

_"Hey. Did you know?"_

"Know what?" she murmured, thinking in the back of her mind that the cupcakes would still be there to frost if she took a little nap.

 _"Every game has its Rules,"_ the voice continued. _"And they're set in stone from the start. If your Heart is stollen, you can never return. Now, shall we begin?"_

A bit confused, Lizzie blinked her eyes open. She could feel a breeze on her face, but that made no sense because all the windows were closed, as was the sliding glass door that led out to the back yard. But now that she looked around, she saw the back door was indeed open, a gentle breeze stirring the curtains beside it. And in the doorway stood a white rabbit wearing a red jacket and a large pocket watch that was far too big to fit in a pocket. There was a pair of spectacles perched on his nose, and he stood on his hind legs, a bit like animals in cartoons, looking up at her expectantly.

"Hello, Lizzie." he said, and Lizzie's brain just came to a screeching halt.

There was a white rabbit. In a waistcoat. Carrying a huge watch. Speaking to her.

Either she was dreaming or she was losing her mind.

Five seconds later her brain started working again. "White Rabbit?" she asked, still trying to figure out if she was dreaming or crazy.

"Oh, so you've heard of me?" he asked, looking pleasantly surprised even as she pointed with her thumb to the TV which showed the now teenaged Alice Kingsley following the White Rabbit in the movie. "Splendid! That makes things so much easier."

"I'm supposed to follow you now, aren't I?" Lizzie asked. She knew for a fact that she didn't dream with all five senses working at the same time. She could feel the slightly rough material of the arm of the couch and the softness of the seat under her, smell the cupcakes cooling just a room away, see every detail of the room she was in, and hear the movie still playing at its normal volume. This clearly wasn't a dream.

"Yes! You catch on straight away!" the White Rabbit said, sounding quite pleased. "Come along now! We don't want to be late."

Lizzie considered her options. She could follow the White Rabbit and find out if she really was going crazy, or she could shoo him back outside, lock the door, and go frost the cupcakes in... three minutes.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" she said after a few seconds of silent contemplation. "My mom can frost those cupcakes for me." With that, she used the arm of the couch to help herself up and grabbed up her crutches. Once she was steady, she grinned at the White Rabbit. A figment of a cracked psyche or not, this had to be better than being bored all day. "Lead the way!"

"Allow me to lend a hand," he said, and suddenly his fluffy body was surrounded in a white glow. A second later, a beautiful man with white hair and ruby-red eyes... and rabbit ears... stood before her, wearing the same clothes as the White Rabbit, offering her his hand. Lizzie blushed a bit as she accepted his assistance. He looked like he'd stepped right out of an Anime of Manga. He let her put one arm over his shoulder as he put his arm around her to help keep her steady, then led her outside...

Where Lizzie couldn't help but notice the gaping hole in the middle of the back yard. "And that's where we're going, isn't it?" she asked, because how the hell did that even get there?! When did that get there?!

"Precisely!" the White Rabbit said, before scooping her up in one arm and taking hold of both crutches with the other. "Now please do hold on. I don't want to drop you." Lizzie had only a second or two to grip the fabric of his jacket before he sprinted over to the hole and jumped in.

The hole was deep. Really freakin' deep. As the air rushed through their hair, Lizzie had to squint to keep her eyes from going dry. "Disney got it wrong!" she called over the wind.

"Got what wrong?" the rabbit man asked, looking curious.

"The feeling of falling into a different world!" the girl replied. "This. Is! AWESOME! It's like a rollercoaster ride, but straight down!"

"I know! Falling is thrilling, isn't it?" The rabbit agreed. "Alas, we cannot fall forever. Look! We're almost there!"

Looking down, Lizzie could see a pinprick of light below them steadily growing brighter and larger with every second until she was forced to close her eyes or be blinded. Expecting a harsh landing, she gripped the White Rabbit's arm a bit tighter, only to feel the rush of wind stop as they came to a gentle halt on what appeared to be the roof of a tower.

"Whoa..." the girl groaned as the White Rabbit eased her onto her feet, only for her to stumble.

"Are you quite alright?" he asked, helping her sit down.

"I think so," Lizzie said, setting her crutches down. "But I think I left my stomach back in my world." She pointed up to emphasize her point. "I think I just need to sit a moment and get my bearings straight."

"Then allow me to introduce myself in the meantime, Lizzie Rogers," the White Rabbit said as he stood. "I am Prime Minister Peter White of the Country of Hearts. Welcome to Wonderland."

Feeling less dizzy, Lizzie opened her eyes. With a little difficulty, she got to her feet and stared out over the tower balcony. "Wonderland..." she echoed, her mahogany-red eyes filled with a kind of awe as she took in the sight of a massive red castle in one direction, an amusement park in another, and a mansion with what looked like a top hat in yet another direction. And in a circle around the tower were tall pillars, each marked with a Roman numeral I - XII. "It's so different from the stories..." she said, almost sounding like she was in a trance.

"There is one more matter I must inform you of before The Game begins," the White Rabbit, now known as "Peter," said, drawing her attention back to him.

"Game?" Lizzie asked curiously.

"Indeed. Now that you're here, you must play The Game," Peter elaborated, taking out a small vial of pink, shimmery liquid. "This is the Medicine of Heart." He explained. "Once you drink it, the only way back to your world is to refill it. Once it is full, you can either choose to return to your world and the life you lived there, or you can continue to play. The choice is up to you."

"Give it here," Lizzie said, extending a hand. Peter held it out to her, making sure she had a hold of it before letting go. It was a small vial, about the length of her index finger. Contemplating her options, she realized she had a question left to ask before she made her decision. "So does this world have an 'Alice,' or am I here to fill that role?"

Peter's face took on a rather displeased but resigned look. "My Alice has chosen the Mad Hatter," he replied. "I suppose you could say you are here to be a companion for her."

"I see," Lizzie said. She didn't fully understand, but she didn't mind the idea of meeting Alice. Maybe they could be friends? And really, what did she have to lose? "Well, as long as she's got good taste in food, I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly!" And with that, she uncorked the vial, held the opening to her lips, and downed it all in one gulp. As soon as the Medicine of Heart hit her stomach, she felt dizzy and dropped to her knees. "What the...?" she asked, before collapsing entirely and falling asleep.

"She should wake up by the next time period," Peter mused, making sure her crutches were within reach. "I hope my Alice will like her. Welcome to Wonderland, Lizzie Rogers. And good luck."


	2. Territories and Shifting Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking up in the Country of Hearts, Lizzie must now choose a territory to stay in... right after she finds Peter. Bunny needs his glasses broken!

As the time changed from day to night, Julius felt a new presence in his tower. Like a disturbance in the Force... not that he had any idea what that would mean. Star Wars didn't exist in Wonderland... not yet, anyway. With an annoyed sigh, he set down his tools and left the clock he was repairing at his work desk, then hurried up the stairs to the balcony. How anyone could get up there without him sensing them enter the Tower was beyond his comprehension. After all, the only being in Wonderland with the ability to fly was Nightmare Gottschalk, and he was in the Country of Clover. Who else could have made it up there, and why?

As he opened the door to the balcony, he shifted the wrench still in his hand into his pistol. While he wasn't the best fighter in Wonderland, he could still hold his own against a faceless intruder, even if Ace usually did that for him. Opening the door fully, he spotted the source of the disturbance he'd felt - a young woman with brown hair tied in plaited pigtails, dressed in a white t-shirt, pink shorts, white knee-socks, and pink running shoes. She was supporting herself on a pair of steel crutches, and her right ankle and foot were secured in a heavy-looking brace that she kept a few inches off the ground. She had her back turned to him, and appeared to be staring out at the landscape.

Okay, now he was really confused.

How could someone who needed crutches have made it to the roof of his tower without him noticing? Having needed them for a short time as a teen before he was assigned his Role, he knew how difficult (read: DANGEROUS) it was to try to go up or downstairs with them. He also knew it was neigh impossible to move silently with them. So how had she done it?

"Are you gonna stand there staring or are you gonna say something?" the girl asked, her voice holding a very slight accent that reminded him of the Cheshire Cat. Using the crutches to maneuver, she turned around to face him.

He wasn't sure what startled him more, the fact that she had a face, or that the eyes set in that face were just a few shades darker than Ace's. For a millisecond, he wondered if they were long-lost siblings, but Ace had never spoken of having any. And then the girl was speaking again. "It's the eyes, isn't it?" she asked, an amused and knowing smirk on her face. "I get that look a lot. Everyone's always surprised to meet a girl with red eyes. Name's Lizzie Rogers. Who the Hell are you?"

Despite the slightly coarse language, she didn't seem like she was trying to be rude. Perhaps she was just used to using such words regularly? He decided it was safe to put away his gun. "My name is Julius Monrey," he said. "I am the owner of this Tower. How did you get here? I cannot imagine you scaled the stairs with those." He gestured to her crutches.

"Some weirdo named Peter White brought me here," she replied. "I followed him to a massive hole in my back yard and well, here I am."

Julius's eyes widened. "You are an Outsider like Alice?" he asked in surprise. Then he looked annoyed. "That damn Rabbit knows it's against the Rules to bring Outsiders here against their will!"

"Who says it was against my will?" the girl asked, smirking like the Cheshire Cat himself. "I was bored, I had nothing better to do, and it's not like I've got anything to lose. So when the White Rabbit showed up, I followed. Kinda wish I'd gotten to frost those chocolate cupcakes I made before he showed up, but whatever."

Julius tried to keep his face neutral, really he did. But the fact that this girl - Lizzie, he reminded himself - had just casually decided to follow a stranger into a world she most likely knew _nothing_ about when she was injured and unarmed... it-it boggled the mind. And his face couldn't help but reflect that. "Do you have a deathwish?" he asked after a moment.

"Everybody dies," she said with a casual shrug. "Not everybody lives. I don't wanna die, but I can't be afraid of my own shadow. If I was, I'd never get anything done, and I'd never have any friends. That'd be boring, and I hate being bored."

The Clockmaker took a moment to absorb what she'd told him. Clearly, this girl had made her choice out of boredom but had no real idea of what Wonderland was really like. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed in resignation. "How much did Peter tell you about Wonderland?" he asked.

"Not a thing," Lizzie said. "But it can't be all that different from the stories I've read and the movies I've seen... then again, the White Rabbit in those stories was just an anthropomorphic rabbit. He wasn't a ridiculously good-looking rabbit-guy."

"Then allow me to fill you in," Julius said, moving to stand beside her but giving her some space. "This is the Country of Hearts, one of the four Countries of Wonderland. It consists of Heart Castle ruled by the Queen of Hearts, Hatter Mansion, the base of the Hatter Family Mafia, the Amusement Park owned by Duke Gowland, and this Clock Tower. The territories around us are constantly at war, fighting for more territory. That's one of the Rules those with Roles must follow. The Clock Tower domain is neutral, but it is also the smallest domain."

"I'm guessing you're the leader of this domain, then?" Lizzie asked, eyeing his clock-based accessories.

Julius gave a simple nod. "I am the Clockmaker," he replied. "And now that you're here, you'll need to choose a territory to reside in for the time being."

At that moment, the time shifted from day to night. Julius was used to the sudden changes, but he was surprised by Lizzie's reaction. Unlike Alice, she didn't seem frightened in the least by the change. As his eyes quickly adjusted to see in the dark, he saw her blinking, no doubt trying to get her own eyes to adjust to the darkness. "What just happened?" she asked, sounding confused but not afraid.

"That was a time-change," the Clockmaker informed her. "They occur at random, so it can change from day to night, or from night to afternoon, at the drop of a hat."

"That makes no sense to me, but okay," the girl replied, looking like she'd finally adjusted to the dark. "I'm guessing it's not safe to travel at night?"

"That is correct," Julius agreed. "I have but one spare room. It was Alice's before she moved out. If you wish, you can stay the night and begin exploring in the next time period."

"I'd hate to impose..." Lizzie said but seemed to realize she didn't have a better option. "I'll make you breakfast in the next time period as compensation."

"You cook?"

"My entire family does," she said. "Dad studied at a French culinary school, Mom comes from a long line of Italian chefs. One of my brothers was even trained by a famous British chef known for his colorful vocabulary. As long as there's food in the kitchen, I can whip up a breakfast worthy of royalty."

"I don't need you to do that," Julius replied with a shake of his head as he began to head back inside.

"Too late, I'm gonna do it." the girl said with a grin.

Julius could only sigh in defeat. He was beginning to realize that stubbornness was likely a common personality trait among Outsiders. "Do what you will." As long as she could make better coffee than Alice. That girl's coffee-making skills had piqued at a 61 before she'd moved to Hatter Mansion. He helped Lizzie down the stairs to the spare room, then left her to her own devices. As he returned to his work, he could hear the _tmp-tmp_ of her moving around, no doubt exploring the Tower, before returning to the spare room. Things were quiet for a good nine hours after that, during which he had plenty of time to think over this turn of events. More specifically, the new Outsider.

Lizzie had surprised him several times in the course of their conversation. First by sensing his presence and her reaction to him, calm and somewhat amused by how much her face startled him. Then by telling him she was in Wonderland because she wanted to be. If she knew how violent this world was, she probably wouldn't have made such a snap decision. Her easy acceptance of the time-changes was refreshing, compared to how confused Alice had been when she first experienced one. He couldn't help but wonder how well she'd take the true difference between herself and the people of this world. From what he'd heard, Alice had been rather frightened by it, before coming to accept it... even if she still didn't accept or understand the low premium on life here.

He also couldn't help but wonder if she would decide to stay in this world, or if she'd leave, as Alice once wanted to. Her carefree attitude was very different from Alice's quiet and generally responsible personality, but he didn't think that was the best thing to base his assumptions on. He could always talk with her when she woke up.

* * *

Lizzie awoke an hour into the next morning to the twittering of birds, sat up and rubbed sleepily at her eyes. She didn't recognize the room or the bed she found herself in for a moment, but after a few seconds of confusion, the events of the previous day came back to her. Wonderland was real. The White Rabbit could turn into a handsome man or an adorable anthropomorphic rabbit at will... and he ditched her in an unfamiliar place less than ten minutes after giving her the Medicine of Heart! Oh, she was so going to slug him when saw him again!

A moment later, she remembered she'd promised to make breakfast for Julius as compensation for letting her take shelter here, so she climbed out of the bed, making sure to neaten it, and headed for the adjoining bathroom to freshen up. As she hobbled, she noticed her ankle wasn't as sore today. In fact, it felt almost healed. Testing it out, she found that she couldn't put her full weight on it yet, but she no longer needed both crutches. That would help.

As she hurried to the kitchen to make breakfast, she had to wonder how her ankle was healing so quickly. Maybe it was the time-changes speeding along her recovery? Maybe since the laws of time were different here, so were the laws of physics? Sighing and shaking her head, she briefly pondered what to make for breakfast before settling on something quick and tasty. She'd familiarized herself with the contents of Julius' refrigerator and cupboards the night before, so she knew he had the basics: eggs, coffee beans, milk, sugar, flour, a few different kinds of meat, baking powder and baking soda, some oats for oatmeal, lots of ramen noodles, some spices, some cheeses, and a few kinds of vegetables. Why there was no bread, peanut butter, jam, mayo, ice cream, chocolate, or anything resembling snack foods was beyond her, but she wasn't going to question it. She settled on making eggs and bacon. She _wanted_ to make some yummy homemade waffles, but Julius didn't own a waffle iron. Or maple syrup. Ugh. Pushing aside a sense of disappointment, she set about getting some regular bacon and some turkey bacon frying (she wasn't a big fan of pork simply for the taste and smell), then started making the coffee. Since eggs only took a few minutes, she'd save those for last. While the meat cooked and the coffee brewed, she hobbled to the door of Julius' room and gave a polite knock.

"Come in." was the bored-sounding answer she received.

"Morning, Julius," Lizzie said politely. "Just wanted to ask how you take your coffee."

"Black, please," he replied, not looking up from his work. "What are you making for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon," the girl replied. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Medium scrambled, please," he replied. "With a pinch of salt. No pepper."

"Coming up!" Lizzie said with a smile and a nod, then hurried back to the kitchen. Maybe five minutes later, she came back with a cup of black coffee for him. "One black coffee," she said. "The eggs and bacon will be ready in a few minutes." Julius simply nodded as she set down the mug, then watched her go back to the kitchen. Setting down the screwdriver in his right hand, he picked up the mug and took a sip. He blinked in surprise. It was quite good. About a 95/100. She'd done much better than Alice had the first time she made coffee for him. It was slightly stronger than he preferred, but just slightly. Clearly, she wasn't a novice when it came to making coffee, at least. He helped himself to another sip.

Maybe ten minutes later, Lizzie came back in with a plate of scrambled eggs and three strips of bacon in her free hand and a fork and knife gripped in the hand she held onto her crutch with. "Breakfast is ready," she said with a smile.

"Set it down over there," Julius said, nodding to the table. "I'll eat in a minute. I'm nearly done with this."

"'Kay." the girl replied, doing as she was told, then hurrying back to the kitchen, no doubt to retrieve her meal. Within the minute, Julius tightened the last few screws on the backplate of the clock he was repairing, finishing it. It vanished from his hand, as they all did once complete, freeing him up until more work was brought to him.

He hadn't said anything about it, but the meal she'd prepared smelled and tasted quite good. He honestly couldn't remember when he'd had a moment to enjoy a hot, homecooked meal. His breaks being so few and far between, he rarely had the time to make something that took more than three or five minutes of prep time. It was but one of the many reasons why he missed Alice's presence in his Tower. Despite her only living with him for a brief time, he'd eaten better and gotten more sleep in those days than he had before she came to Wonderland.

It was also why he didn't want Lizzie to stay here for long. He'd grown attached to Alice, only for her to fall in love with another and leave him alone and lonely. He was happy that Alice was happy, but he wasn't sure he could survive it a second time.

Lizzie joined him at the table a minute later as he was finishing his scrambled eggs. She had added milk and sugar to her coffee, but other than that her meal was identical to his own. The two ate in relative silence, simply enjoying a hot breakfast. The only sounds were the faint clinking of forks against the china plates and the occasional sound of a mug being set down after a sip was taken. Lizzie chose to break the silence. "How's the coffee?" she asked.

"95 points," Julius said, out of habit. "It's slightly stronger than I prefer, but only slightly. You're much better at making coffee than Alice."

Lizzie shrugged. "I'm usually in charge of making breakfast at home," she said. "I made it the way my dad taught me. I'm glad you like it, though."

"Do you plan to explore the country today?" he asked.

"Yeah," the girl confirmed with a shrug. "First I'm going to track down Peter. I'm kinda pissed that he ditched me the way he did. After that, I'll figure out where I want to stay."

"White is not much of a people-person," the Clockmaker explained. "The only person he likes is Alice. I advise caution when dealing with him. As well as the majority of Wonderland's population."

"Not making any promises on that front," the brunette replied. "But considering I still need at least one crutch, I may not have a choice." She finished her last strip of bacon a moment after Julius cleared his plate, so she took the dishes back to the sink to wash them. As soon as she was done, she retrieved her jacket from the room Julius had lent her. Wonderland was always at the perfect temperature, but it helped to have an extra layer of fabric between her armpit and the crutch. "Welp, I'll be heading out now," she said as she limped to the door. "If I'm not back two night periods from now, just assume I found somewhere else to stay." Julius simply nodded, dismissing her. With that, she left the Tower.

Ready or not, Wonderland.

Here comes Lizzie!

* * *

It took an hour before she admitted two things to herself.

1) Traveling a long distance when she had to support herself with a crutch probably wasn't the brightest idea she'd ever had, and 

2) she was lost.

She really should've asked Julius for a map. She'd hoped that, after staring at the landscape from the Tower roof, she'd be able to figure out the path there, but nope! She didn't even know if she was going in the right direction anymore! If her ankle wasn't still healing, she could climb a tree to get a better view, but she couldn't even do that.

So, yeah. That sucked.

She briefly entertained the idea of throwing down her crutch and just sitting down in the middle of the path with her arms crossed like a cranky child, but she knew that wouldn't really help her right now. So, to catch her breath, she just leaned against a tree. _'Really, what was I thinking, wandering into an unfamiliar place without a map?'_ she mentally berated herself. _'Where's my head today? Did I leave it back at the Clock Tower? I'm smarter than this, dammit! How could I have done something so-'_ "HOLY CRAP!" A man with brown hair and red eyes suddenly popping out of the bushes startled her out of her thoughts, making her stumble and fall. The young man, almost as surprised as she was, was quick to catch her before she could hit the ground.

"Whoops! Sorry about that!" the young man said with a smile, pulling her to her feet and letting her get her crutch under her again before taking his hands off her shoulders. "I didn't expect to run into anyone out here."

"Me either," Lizzie agreed with a smile of her own. "Thanks for catching me. With my ankle the way it is, getting back up would've been a real pain."

"No problem!" the young man grinned, before taking a close look at her face. "I've never seen you around before, though. Are you an Outsider?"

"If that's what people not from Wonderland are called, then yes."

"Cool! That makes you the second Outsider I've ever met!" the young man said cheerfully, extending a hand for a handshake. "My name's Ace. I'm the Knight of Heart Castle. Who are you?"

"The name's Lizzie Rogers," the girl replied, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm actually on my way to Heart Castle right now, but... I kinda got lost."

"No worries, it happens," Ace said, a look of complete understanding on his face. "I'm on my way back there, too. In fact, I know a shortcut. I'll show you the way there!"

"That'd be great, thank you."

_(Half an hour later...)_

"Ace, are you sure this is a shortcut?" Lizzie asked, starting to feel winded again. Ace had immediately led her off the path and into the woods, and they'd been tromping through the forest ever since. "I may be new to the Country of Hearts, but I'm getting a very distinct feeling the castle is the other way."

"Don't worry, Lizzie," Ace replied, cheerful as ever. "I'm sure we're almost there!"

"You're sure, or you know?"

"Don't worry about it!" the knight insisted. "Hey, I see something through the trees! Come on!" Lizzie struggled to keep up with him as he ran forward, bursting out of the woods and coming to a halt when what she saw was most definitely _not_ Heart Castle.

"Ace." the girl said calmly. A little too calmly.

"Yeah, Lizzie?" the knight replied, not noticing her foul mood.

"This isn't Heart Castle, is it." It wasn't a question.

"Nope! I don't know how we ended up at Hatter Mansion!" Ace agreed cheerfully.

"Well, **** this ****, I'm outta here," Lizzie growled, and the surprised look on Ace's face was priceless.

"Hey now, that's not very ladylike!" he said, looking just slightly hurt. "I was trying to help."

"And yet we're not at the goddamn castle!" the girl snapped, done with this nonsense. "You got any idea how ****ing exhausting it is to limp around for an hour and a half when you're in unfamiliar lands? Not to mention painful! I oughta-!"

"Hey! What's all the racket about?!" a new voice demanded, and both Ace and Lizzie looked up to see a man with shaggy orange hair and... rabbit ears?

"Oh, hey, Elliot!" Ace said jovially with that annoyingly cheerful smile. "I'm just taking the new Outsider to the castle."

"How many times do I have to tell you, this isn't the- wait, _new Outsider?_ " Elliot looked at Lizzie in surprise, his ears perking up to reflect the emotion.

"Yep, the name's Lizzie Rogers," she said with a smile, doing a complete 180 and extending a hand. "Outsider and baker. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Elliot March," the guy said, shaking her hand. "I'm kinda surprised you're here. I don't think Wonderland's ever had more than one Outsider at a time before. Blood and Alice are definitely gonna want to meet you!"

"We don't have time for that," Ace protested. "I'm taking her to the Castle!"

"THE HELL YOU ARE!!" Lizzie and Elliot snapped at the same time, causing Elliot to draw his pistol even as Lizzie swung her crutch directly at Ace's head.

_BANG! CLANG! THOK!_ "Ow!" Ace had expected Elliot's reaction and had quickly unsheathed his sword to block the bullet, but had not been prepared for Lizzie's attack, and thus was equally shocked and in pain. Elliot was even more shocked, mainly because he hadn't expected the clearly exhausted girl with her foot in an ankle brace to actually hit Ace over the head with her crutch. He was even more surprised when Ace removed his hand from the lump forming on his head to reveal fresh blood on his gloved fingers.

"Keep being an idiot, and I'll make sure you won't be able to sit for a week," Lizzie glowered, her eyes less of a mahogany-red and more of a blood-red - though whether that was due to the lighting or some other reason, neither male was certain.

"Goodness," yet another voice said in an amused yet slightly annoyed tone. "Can't you see you're bothering the young lady, Knight?"

"Blood!" Elliot exclaimed, turning around and giving you a view of the newcomer.

Make that _two_ newcomers. One was a dashing looking man with black hair and blue eyes in a black top hat decorated with roses and playing cards... and the price tag... and white suit. He stood at 6'2" and had a slightly amused yet annoyed look on his face. Beside him stood a young woman with golden-brown hair and green eyes in a blue Lolita dress with a white apron, striped stockings, and red Mary Jane shoes.

 _'That must be Alice,'_ Lizzie realized. _'And the Mad Hatter.'_

"What's going on?" Alice asked, looking a little concerned.

"This idiot got the new Outsider lost!" Elliot said, pointing to Ace.

Alice and the Hatter looked over to her, barely acknowledging Ace's presence, eyes wide with surprise. "Oh my god, not again!" Alice exclaimed, rushing over to her. "I'm Alice Dupre. Did Peter White kidnap you, too?"

"I'm Lizzie Rogers, I wouldn't call it 'kidnapping' so much as 'followed him on a whim,'" Lizzie replied. Alice stared in disbelief. "What? Can't a girl make snap decisions? I was bored, and exploring a different world sounded way more interesting than sitting at home and 'taking it easy' because of my stupid broken ankle." She pointed to the brace with her free hand.

"How shall I put this?" the Hatter said. "Wonderland isn't the safest place for Outsiders."

"I already know that," Lizzie replied. "But the world I come from is dangerous, too. I fail to see what the problem is."

Blood smirked and gave a close-eyed chuckle. "You'll find out, eventually," he said, before opening his eyes and extending a hand. "My name is Blood Dupre, head of the Hatter Mafia. You've already met my wife and my second-in-command. It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady."

"Likewise," the brunette agreed.

"I realize you may have other things to do, but will you come inside for a tea party?" Blood asked. "I'm sure my wife would like to get to know you."

"Gladly." Lizzie agreed immediately. It was better than being dragged around by an idiot with no sense of direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fun thing about writing this story is I don't have to follow a certain route from the game or the manga. I can just have her interact with the various Role-Holders and faceless and Alice however I want! So fun!


	3. Hatters and Timelines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Desperate to get off her feet, Lizzie has paused at Hatter Mansion for tea. Time to find out what happened to that jerk, Bryan Evans from Chapter 1. Also, we find out how the timeline of Alice's world differs from Lizzie's. And we'll finally track down Peter. Promise.

"Aw, but what about the castle?" Ace protested.

"Ace, I'm exhausted and need to take a break," Lizzie reminded him.

"If you're tired of walking, I can carry you there!" Ace said cheerfully, moving to pick her up. Before anyone could move to stop him, there was a flash of grey metal and a solid _WHACK!!_ and suddenly all the color drained from Ace's face as he fell to his knees, hands over his groin, whimpering like a wounded animal. "Why...?" he squeaked, his voice an octave higher than normal before he collapsed.

"Idiot." Lizzie sneered, then looked up at her three new acquaintances. All three wore a similar expression of shock. "What?" she asked innocently. "I gave him a warning and he chose to be stupid anyway."

Now they had different expressions.

Elliot looked impressed.

Alice looked concerned for Ace.

And Blood looked entertained.

"How'd you know that'd work?" Elliot asked.

"Uh, because it's the universal weakest point for all males?" Lizzie said bluntly. "You think you'd react any different if someone hit you in the family jewels as hard as they could with a metal crutch?"

Elliot paled a little, his ears drooping a bit. "Point taken."

"Speaking of that crutch, you can tell us how that happened over tea." Blood said with a smirk. He offered his arm to Alice, and Elliot offered his arm to Lizzie, and the four of them went inside.

*******

"So, that's what happened," Blood said, after listening to Lizzie's explanation. "I wish we could teach that trash a lesson."

"That's seriously messed up," Elliot agreed. "What did your family do?"

"Ah, now that's where the story really gets fun," Lizzie said with a wicked smirk. "See, my family's alway's been really close-knit, and if one of us is being harassed or attacked, the whole family takes it _very_ personally. So my parents and siblings came up with a plan. My little sisters, Rose, Wisteria, and Marigold, are major pranksters, so naturally, they destroyed Bryan's car by putting rotten eggs in the air vents, slashing the tires, and coating the entire thing in the smelliest catfish bait my world has to offer. Not only does one need a cast-iron stomach to resist being sick from the stench, but it also eroded the paint job all the way down to the metal. They did the same thing to his friends' cars, so not only do they now lack transportation, but they've also lost their popularity. My older brother, Micah, released about 10,000 spiders into Bryan's house, so last I heard they were forced to stay in a hotel until they can get them exterminated. As for my parents, they put Bryan and his friends on blast on every social media platform, and since my family's pretty influential, Bryan and his buddies have been expelled and are now being refused at every college in the state, and are the most unemployable people in the world. It's pretty great."

"So, no one died?" Elliot asked, looking a little confused. It honestly sounded like something the Bloody Twins would do.

"Yet." Lizzie corrected with a smirk. "I do know my parents are suing him and his friend for attacking me, and there's proof it was premeditated, so it's highly likely they're gonna do hard time for first-degree assault. They've been publicly disgraced and disowned by their families, and that can be a fate worse than death sometimes. It's likely those jerks will end up homeless, and a lot can happen on the streets. Who knows? Maybe in a few weeks time, one or both of them will be dead."

"And you're okay with that?" Alice asked, looking puzzled.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Lizzie asked innocently. "They hurt me, and Kharma's collecting their debt. I'm not the first one they've done this to, and if left unchecked there's no telling how many more would suffer the same bullying... or worse. They're getting nothing less than what they deserve."

Blood smirked at this. "For an Outsider, you certainly think like you belong here," he said before taking a sip of his tea. "I was starting to think all Outsiders were non-violent."

"Where'd you get that idea?" the brunette asked, looking confused.

"My Alice has a strict no-weapons policy, despite being married into the Mafia," Blood explained, looking both amused and exasperated. "Despite all the times she's been threatened or in danger, she still refuses to take up a gun or a blade to defend herself."

Lizzie blinked, that statement clearly not making a bit of sense to her. "Well, what applies to one Outsider doesn't have to apply to us all," she said after a moment. "Almost everyone I know back home carries some kind of weapon, whether it's a pocket knife or a gun. My parents both own guns and know how to use them, as does my brother. My little sisters are still learning about basic weapon safety, but it's likely they'll choose guns as well when they're legally old enough to carry a weapon."

"... What about you?" Alice asked. It seemed she didn't like the idea of how violent her old world had become.

"I'm into blades," Lizzie replied. "Not as loud as a gun, and no acrid-smelling gunpowder to wash off later. Unfortunately, I left my favorite dagger set back home because I was expecting to have nothing more than a boring day at home." She crossed her arms and pouted adorably, looking so utterly _miffed_ that she'd been able to take them with her. It was cute.

"Heh. Well, I'm sure you'll be able to replace them," Blood said with a chuckle. At least this one was capable of defending herself. Suddenly the time changed from morning to evening. "Well, I suppose we've taken up enough of your time. The Knight said you wanted to go to Heart Castle?"

"Yep," the brunette confirmed.

"Alright. Alice, perhaps you should show they young lady the way there," the Hatter suggested. "I know Her Majesty would not be averse to seeing you again."

"Sounds good," Alice said, setting her teacup on its saucer. "C'mon, Lizzie."

"Thank you for the tea," Lizzie said politely as she stood. "And it was nice to meet you both." With that, she followed Alice out of the Mansion.

***

"Alice?" Lizzie asked as they made their way to the Castle. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," the blond replied curiously. "What is it?"

"What year was it when Peter brought you here?"

"1865, why?" Alice answered and asked in return.

"And what was your maiden name?"

"Liddell... but why do you want to know?"

"Because the story of _'Alice in Wonderland'_ was published in 1865," Lizzie explained, making Alice stop in her tracks. "But at the time, the Alice Liddell of my world was only 13."

Alice was silent for a moment. "What year did Peter find you in, then?" she asked after a moment.

"I'm from 2020," the brunette explained. "And the Alice Liddell of my world died in 1934 as age 82. I asked because you and I might just be from two separate yet parallel worlds."

Alice's brain seemed to stop. "Parallel worlds?" she asked, trying to take in everything Lizzie was telling her.

"A world similar to the world you come from, but the timeline has changed," the newer girl explained as they continued on their way. "Any time we make a choice, there's an option we choose over the other, so there's a path that goes undiscovered. That's where parallel and alternate worlds come into play. There's essentially a world for every possibility. What-ifs to infinity."

"Then... that means..."

"There are infinite versions of ourselves, one to explore each possible outcome of any given situation," Lizzie confirmed. "There's a you who never went to Wonderland, a you for every possible suitor you've ever met, a you who chose to go back to your world rather than stay here. There's a world where you and I are both boys and everyone here is the opposite gender. There's even a Wonderland where the 'Alice' there was Alice Kingsley, who killed the Red Queen's Jabberwocky. There's probably even a few worlds where neither you nor I ever existed because either one or both of our parents were never born or they never met. It's kinda crazy to think about, which is why I don't dwell on it. You probably shouldn't think too hard about it, either. My little sisters had an existential crisis when I explained the Multiverse Principle* to them. Just try not to think about it and live in the now."

Alice was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of there being a Wonderland where she was a boy and Blood was a woman instead of a man. Where all the Role-Holders who were men here were women and the Vivaldi was a man. It was impossible to hide her blush. Lizzie caught her expression, and a flash of what Alice was thinking flitted through her mind, causing her to burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh! What did I say about not thinking about it!?" she laughed, trying not to imagine the five males she'd met since arriving here as female versions of themselves and failing. Or maybe she was picking up on Alice's thoughts? She wasn't sure.

"You put the idea in my head!" Alice protested, looking incredibly flustered. But since Lizzie didn't seem too concerned... it helped lighten the mood. "So why'd you want to come to Wonderland, anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

"It was one of my favorite stories growing up," Lizzie explained fondly. "There's been many adaptations of it, including songs and a version where Alice slays a dragon with a Vorpal Sword. I was actually watching that version for the... millionth time when Peter showed up. I was dead bored with just sitting around waiting for my ankle to heal, so I decided to go with him."

"I assume you want to go back?" Alice asked, hoping Lizzie would show _some_ shred of sanity.

"Eh. I wanna learn more about Wonderland before I make any big decisions," the brunette said, shrugging the shoulder that wasn't leaning against the crutch. "How _does_ one go back, though?"

"You still have the vial of Medicine, right?" Alice asked.

"Mmhm," the newcomer said, patting a pocket in her jacket.

"The more you interact with people here, the more it'll fill back up," Alice explained. "Once it's full, you can choose whether you want to go home or stay in Wonderland."

"Huh." Lizzie said simply. "Good to know." Then she looked forward again, and there it was.

Heart Castle.

"We're here," Alice said with a smile. "C'mon. Vivaldi's usually having tea in the garden during evening periods. I'm sure one of the maids will be happy to take us to her. Just to warn you, the faces of a lot of people in Wonderland are kinda blurry compared to Role-Holders like Ace, Elliot, and Blood, so don't freak out, okay?"

"Alice, it takes a lot to freak me out," Lizzie said with a smirk. "I didn't even freak out when Anakin lost his arms and legs and was nearly burned to death on Mustafar."

Alice just stared at her with a confused and horrified look.

"That went right over your head, didn't it?" the other girl asked.

"Among other things..."

"I'll explain..."

* * *

_(One explanation later...)_

"...And that's how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader." Lizzie finished.

"And people watch that kind of thing in your world?" Alice asked, still trying to wrap her head around how Anakin had survived being so badly injured.

"It has a following that spans generations," the brunette said with a grin. "People are always using quotes from the movies. You'll probably hear me quote them a lot if we hang out enough."

"I almost wish I could watch them," Alice said. "They sound so exciting."

"Luckily for you, I _did_ manage to bring my phone with me," the new girl said, taking out the slim, pink phone. "I have no idea if the Internet works here, but if I can get a signal, once I've found a place to stay, we could totally have a movie night. We can eat popcorn and chocolate and drink soda and I'll do a whole bunch of movie quotes in-character! My friends back home always said it was cool how I could memorize entire scenes of dialogue and act them out perfectly."

"I'd like that," Alice agreed as they finally approached the stairs leading to the Castle. "It's been a while since I've been able to just hang out with another girl aside from Vivaldi. And I'm sure she wouldn't be opposed to having another female friend. We could all watch them together!"

"I would love that!" Lizzie said with a grin that oddly reminded Alice of the way Ace's face lit up when he was happy. It was really weird how those two looked so similar. They were at the foot of the stairs now, and Lizzie could see several guards positioned at each flight. Oddly enough, their faces didn't look that blurry to her. Despite their similarities, she could tell them apart easily... it kinda reminded her of the Clone Troopers. "Time to meet the Queen?" she asked. Alice nodded and began leading her up the stairs. Each guard greeted Alice as "Miss Alice," so it was clear she was on good terms with them. The brunette could feel their eyes on her, curious about her presence here. She had a feeling that all of Wonderland would know of her existence soon.

Upon entering the Castle, Lizzie looked around in awe. "Whoa... this place is beautiful!" she said, eyes sparkling with delight.

Alice couldn't help but giggle. Lizzie was showing a more childish side, whereas before she'd seemed mature, vicious, and... well, like she was a Role-Holder rather than an Outsider. "I always thought so," she agreed. "C'mon, let's go find Vivaldi."

After recruiting the assistance of one of the Faceless maids, Alice and Lizzie were led to the Royal Garden where Vivaldi could often be found in the evening periods. As they drew closer, Lizzie heard a familiar voice. "... I need to go find her, Your Majesty!" a male voice protested. "She could be hurt and unable to defend herself!"

"White, you insolent fool! That's why you do not abandon an injured person in an unfamiliar place!" a woman's voice boomed like thunder. Whoever she was, she sounded furious. "Go find her this instant and bring her to us!"

"Sound's like they're talking about you," Alice said, glancing nervously at Lizzie.

Lizzie just rolled her eyes, hobbled past the worried-looking maid, and threw open the doors to the throne room. "I'm right here." she deadpanned, catching both the Queen of Hearts and the Prime Minister off guard. For a moment, all either person could do was stare at the girl leaning slightly on one crutch, who's eyes - nearly crimson with annoyance - showed not an ounce of fear or humility. In fact, she looked a little annoyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Lizzie's world is a bit more advanced when it comes to interdimensional exploration, so it's called the Multiverse Principle instead of the Multiverse Theory.


	4. The Queen, the King, and the Prime Minister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finally tracking down Peter, it's time for Lizzie to get some payback for him ditching her.

For a moment, neither the Queen nor the Rabbit said anything. Neither could Alice or the maid. Lizzie just stood there, glaring at Peter, eyes beginning to turn blood red. Peter snapped out of his surprise first and rushed over to her. "Oh, Lizzie! Thank goodness you made it here safe and- ACK!!"

The White Rabbit didn't get to finish his sentence, as Lizzie punched him squarely in the face, shattering his glasses, making the Queen burst out laughing in amusement. She shook her fist to make it hurt a little less as he landed on his backside, stunned and probably confused. She had a small piece of glass wedged in a cut on her knuckle, but she easily removed it and tossed it aside, hardly caring about the crimson liquid slowly trickling down her index and middle finger. "That's for ditching me at the top of the Clock Tower," she said, her voice full of annoyance. "Have you any idea how dangerous and difficult it is to go up and downstairs with crutches? A single stumble could've spelled my doom before I could even leave the Tower!" She moved to stand in front of him and reached out her uninjured hand to help him to his feet. "That said, it's good to see you again."

Peter, slightly confused by the shift in her mood, nevertheless accepted her hand and stood, giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Lizzie," he said politely, leaving Alice, the maid, and Vivaldi quite confused as to why he wasn't absolutely furious with her. "That was thoughtless of me. I'm glad you made it here safely, truly I am." As he spoke, he switched out his damaged glasses for a spare set he'd learned to keep on his person. Considering how often Alice greeted him with a right-hook during the early stages of her Game, he'd found it troublesome to wait for the lenses and frame to mend themselves, and had thus procured a few spares. After all, it was hard to shoot a target you couldn't clearly see.

"Uh... Peter?" Alice asked, highly confused by his unusually non-hostile interactions. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm quite alright, Alice, my dear," the White Rabbit replied with a smile. "Lizzie is my friend, so there's nothing to fear. I'd hoped you'd like her. That's why I brought her here."

"Wait. You brought her here... for me?" Alice asked. While she didn't have a problem with the slightly crazy and rather violent girl, (Wonderland had conditioned her to such things) the thought that Lizzie was here on Peter's whim was... well, it was infuriating.

"In his defense, I came with him of my own free will," Lizzie reminded her. "It may have been his idea to bring me here, but I'm here because I want to be. It's no big deal."

"You... came willingly?" Vivaldi asked, looking surprised as she stood from her throne to approach her. "That is indeed rare. We do not think anyone has ever willingly followed the White Rabbit before. We are Vivaldi. Tell us your name, child."

"Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself sooner, Your Majesty," Lizzie said with a proper bow. "My name is Lizzie Rogers. It's an honor to meet you."

"No need to be so formal, Lizzie," the Queen said with a smile, gently reaching out and raising the girl's head so she could see her eyes. "We must say, you have lovely eyes. We love the color red most of all." Taking in the girl's face, a realization struck her mind that annoyed her greatly. "Though we find it somewhat vexing that you have such a strong resemblance to our Knight."

"Yeah, my older brother looks exactly like Ace," Lizzie said with an embarrassed smile and a slight blush, her smile making her resemble Ace even more. "It's weird and a bit creepy to me, too. I just try not to think about it."

"Wait, your brother looks like Ace?" Alice asked, shocked and curious. Peter wore a similar look of surprise. "How is that even possible?"

"Well, my siblings and I all inherited our dad's brown hair," the Outsider explained. "And we all inherited our mom's red eyes. How Ace ended up looking like my brother is beyond me, though."

"Hm. Regardless, we insist you join us for tea." Vivaldi said, choosing to dismiss the fact that Lizzie and Ace looked so similar.

"I'd love to." the girl said with a smile.

* * *

A short while later, Alice and Lizzie were seated at the Queen's tea table and each enjoying a cup of rose-hip tea while Peter catered to them. The King of Hearts had joined them at some point, but he kinda faded to the background. Despite knowing there was no need for formality, Lizzie still sat like a proper princess - something she'd learned from watching The Princess Dairies when she was little and still openly interested in that kind of thing. She still had a secret love of such stories and the beautiful dresses and crown jewels, but it was hidden by her obsession with Star Wars. What could she say? Lightsabers were cool!

"So, tell us, Lizzie," Vivaldi began once they all had a cup of tea. "What on earth possessed you to come to Wonderland?"

"Boredom and curiosity, mostly," Lizzie replied. "I was just sitting at home, waiting for a batch of chocolate cupcakes to cool so I could decorate them and watching a movie about Wonderland - though I'm pretty sure it was an alternate universe version - and starting to doze off, when who should hop through the patio door but your Prime Minister to invite me to Wonderland. It took a few seconds for me to realize I wasn't dreaming, so I figured that I may as well follow. It's not like I had anything else planned. I kinda wish I'd gotten to decorate that batch of cupcakes, but whatever."

"You're so nonchalant about all this," Alice said, still confused as to how Lizzie could _want_ to come here. "You _do_ know that Wonderland's dangerous, right? It's not all magic and sunshine."

"Every paradise has its flaws, Alice," Lizzie reasoned. "Even Eden had snakes. And it's not like I'm a damsel in distress. I know how to fight to defend myself. If it wasn't for the fact that it's kinda hard to defend against a jerk in a car, I wouldn't even need this crutch and ankle brace. Oh, that reminds me. Did Ace ever get here? He was gone by the time Alice and I left Hatter mansion."

"He arrived about half an hour before the two of you," the King replied, reminding everyone he was there. "He was limping when he got here, however."

Lizzie gave a dark chuckle. "Well, that's what he gets for being an idiot."

"Oh?" Vivaldi asked, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Would you happen to know why our Knight was limping so terribly and refused to sit down?"

"I hit him in the groin with my crutch when he tried to drag me here," Lizzie explained, not a trace of remorse on her face. "I did warn him that he'd be punished if he kept being an idiot. He simply chose to keep being an idiot. I doubt he'll be able to sit properly for a week."

Vivaldi processed this for a moment before her cheeks turned rosy. "Pffft! Hohohoho! Hahahahaha!" She laughed, unable to hide her amusement. Then she looked up at Peter. " Ah, White, we must commend your selection!" she said, wiping amused tears from her eyes before returning her attention to Lizzie. "We fully understand that. We wish we could've witnessed it in person!"

Peter smiled at Lizzie proudly. if she could take down ace in one hit, she'd fit into Wonderland just fine. It helped relieve some of the worries he'd felt after leaving her at the Tower. And if she could defeat the Knight when she was still injured, who knows what she'd be capable of when she was at full strength!

And then there were the thoughts that came unbidden. Lizzie - despite the strong resemblance to Ace - was quite lovely, with her chocolate-brown hair, fair skin, kind eyes, and cheerful smile. She could protect herself - something that was an absolute must for anyone living in Wonderland who wanted to live longer than their first five years. The sweet aroma of baked goods always seemed to waft from her. And while she'd been angry with him for a few moments, she'd forgiven him rather quickly. There was a fire in her, but it was tempered with kindness and sarcasm. But why in Wonderland was he so interested in interacting with her? True, he'd brought her here to be a companion for Alice, and so far they seemed to be getting along splendidly. But something about her... made him smile more than he wanted to admit. He still felt that his romantic love belonged solely to Alice, but perhaps... this was a different kind of love?

Eventually, the King had to return to his duties, and Alice had to return to Hatter Mansion before Blood started worrying in his own way. Peter offered to escort her, lest some fiend tries to attack her, leaving Lizzie with Vivaldi. "Men can be so troublesome," Vivaldi sighed as a maid refilled their teacups. "Now, where are you lodging in our Country?"

"I haven't decided yet," Lizzie admitted. "I briefly entertained the notion of staying at the Amusement Park, but considering how loud amusement parks can be in my world, I don't think I'd be able to sleep peacefully there."

"Why not live here?" Vivaldi asked. "We can have the maids prepare a room for you at once."

Lizzie quickly weighed the pros and cons. On one hand, what girl at some point hadn't wanted to live in a castle? She knew she always had, even after her love for Lightsaber duels began to overshadow her love for dress-up and tea parties. And while it wasn't made from rose quartz or pink chalcedony and located on an alien world, it was still ten times more beautiful than Cinderella castle or Sleeping Beauty castle. On the other... didn't Ace live here?

Eh. Like she'd already said: _"Every paradise has its flaws. Even Eden had its snakes."_ "I'll be happy to move in." She said with a smile. After all, the only thing she'd left at the Clock Tower was a crutch she didn't need anymore. She could always retrieve it once her ankle was fully healed. It would also give her an excuse to visit Julius.

"Wonderful!" Vivaldi said with a delighted smile. "We shall have the maids prepare a room for you near our own." With that, she clapped her hands twice. "Maids!" Two maids rushed over to her. "Prepare a room near ours. We should like for Lizzie to move in immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty." they said with polite bows before taking their leave. Once again, Lizzie and Vivaldi were left alone. The Queen gave her a wicked grin.

"Now, tell us. How do you feel about dress-up?"

Lizzie's eyes sparkled with delight, looking more like polished rubies in the light of the setting sun than mahogany-red pools. She hadn't expected the Queen to guess one of her secret favorite pastimes, but it was a welcome surprise.

She had no idea what she was getting herself into.


End file.
